A New Voice, A Strong Voice for St. John's

Councilor-at-large in St. John's

Make Maggie Burton your first choice for councilor-at-large in St. John's. As a teacher, musician, management consultant and mother of two young children, Maggie has a lot of experience to offer—and a fresh, new perspective.

MY STORY

I grew up in my mother’s home community of Brigus, but came to St. John’s in 2009 and fell in love with the city. Today, I live near Quidi Vidi Lake with my husband Chris and our two beautiful children, Jack (5) and Ursula (2).

Like many of us in today’s workforce, I manage a busy schedule, balancing various professional engagements, including:

Teaching: I teach violin to students aged 3–18 using the world-famous Suzuki method.

Leadership Coaching: Through RPI Coaching, I help business leaders across North America to achieve their potential.

Educational Program Director: I’m the co-artistic director of STEP, a local Suzuki education nonprofit; the Newfoundland and Labrador Suzuki Institute; and the Iceberg Chamber Music Institute.

Arts Administrator: I am the co-founder of the St. John’s New Music Collective and the Avalonia Duo, two classical music performing ensembles.

Writer: I’m an award-winning poet, with both national and local publications, and a chapbook that came out in April 2017.

Freelance Musician: I play in the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and in other groups including Duane Andrews’ Earhart Ensemble, Opera on the Avalon orchestra, MUN Viola da Gamba Consort, among other ensembles and bands. I even played with Rod Stewart when he came to Confederation Hill in 2016!

Volunteer: Locally, I volunteer with organizations that bridge music and tourism such as the International Sound Symposium and the Tuckamore Music Festival.

In my spare time – when I can get it -- I enjoy gardening and hiking, I am an avid painter, and I love spending time with my children and reading as many books as I can.

PRIORITIES 2017

OPPORTUNITY

A growing economy encourages new and long-time residents alike to choose to live and work in St. John’s. Long-term sustainable development and support for diverse businesses will provide better opportunities for more people. An effective waste management strategy that recycles as much as we can will help build a strong future in a clean and beautiful city.

CULTURE

We can better harness our unique heritage and culture to foster tourism, build a thriving creative economy, and strengthen our community pride. From historic buildings to a strong tradition in the arts, we have many key competitive advantages here. St. John’s deserves to be one of Canada’s cultural and creative capitals, but to get there, we need leadership.

COMMUNITY

Let’s create real neighbourhoods, focused on real people, where all residents have easy access to healthy living options such as parks, green spaces, walking trails and cycling routes. Regardless of age, ability, and income level, every person should have safe sidewalks and roads, and acceptable and affordable housing. An inclusive city benefits everybody.